Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends—they flee when they see me on the street.
Parallel translations
- WEB Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, A fear to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.
- KJV I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.
- NKJV I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me.
- NASB Because of all my adversaries, I have become a disgrace, Especially to my neighbors, And an object of dread to my acquaintances; Those who see me in the street flee from me.
- NLT I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors— even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they run the other way.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David has become an object of scorn to enemies, dread to neighbors, and avoidance to acquaintances. It describes the isolation of his suffering.
Overview
His distress has made him a reproach, abandoned even by those who once knew him. Such social rejection compounds his physical and emotional pain. The picture of the righteous sufferer despised and forsaken anticipates Christ, who was likewise rejected by men.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 24
- Ps 38:11My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance.
- Ps 88:8You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.
- Ps 88:18You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
- Matt 26:56But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
- Ps 64:8They will be made to stumble, their own tongues turned against them. All who see will shake their heads.
- Ps 41:8–9“A vile disease has been poured into him; he will never get up from where he lies!”
- Isa 53:3–5He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
- Ps 69:19–20You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace. All my adversaries are before You.
- Job 19:13–14He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me.
- Isa 49:7Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”
- Ps 89:50–51Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants, which I bear in my heart from so many people—
- 2 Tim 4:16At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.
- Job 6:21–23For now you are of no help; you see terror, and you are afraid.
- Heb 13:13Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.
- Heb 11:36Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
- Mark 14:50Then everyone deserted Him and fled.
- Matt 10:21–22Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.
- Matt 26:74At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
- Rom 15:3For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.”
- Ps 22:6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
- Matt 27:39–44And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads
- Jer 12:6Even your brothers—your own father’s household—even they have betrayed you; even they have cried aloud against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.
- Mic 7:6For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.
- 1 Pet 4:14If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 31:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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